Lug strap



April 26, 1938. H. E. WILSON LUG STRAP Filed. Feb. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenTor. HerberT EWilson- ATTys.

April 26, 1938. H. E. WILSON LUG STRAP Filed Feb. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 30 lnvenTor Herbefl E.\/Vi|son, b yiwz Mi/WT llllllllh 28 ATTys.

Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to lug straps for looms and particularly to that type of lug strap which is made of a plurality of layers of fabric adhesively united under pressure.

One common way of making such a lug strap is by rolling a strip of fabric which has been provided with a coating of adhesive into the form of a roll and then subjecting said roll to the action of a die to compress the layers and to give it the 10 required shape of the lug strap. This method of making the lug strap is described in my Patent No. 1,909,993, May 23, 1933.

The lug strap described in said patent has a reenforcing layer embodied in the bow or bridge 15 end thereof and also in the portions of the legs adjacent the bow end, and the bow end of the lug strap has a flat inner picker stick-engaging face and is of substantially the same transverse dimension from one end to the other thereof.

20 In accordance with the present invention there is provided a lug strap which also has a flat inner face at the bow end to engage the picker stick, but which is provided with a reenforcing layer confined to the bow end and of such a shape that it produces in the completed lug strap a bow end which is of progressively increasing transverse dimension from each leg toward the center, said bow end being thicker at the center and thinnest at the ends where it merges into the legs. This 30 produces a lug strap having a flat inner face at the bow end for engaging the picker stick and a convexly curved outer face.

Another feature of the invention relatesto an improved lug strap having a nut embedded in 35 one leg thereof adjacent the bow end adapted to receive the bolt for a lug strap holder of the type sometimes. used.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings;

Fig. l is a view illustrating the strip or sheet 45 of fabric from which the lug strap is made.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the strip of fabric withits reenforcing fabric rolled up into the form of a roll.

Fig. 3 shows the roll subjected to pressure in 50 the mold for compressing it and giving the lug strap its final shape.

Fig. 4 is a view of the completed lug strap.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the lug strap in use 55 and supported by 2. lug strap holder.

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the lug strap shown in Fig. 6 with the part broken out to better show the construction and the manner of attaching the lug strap to the lug strap holder.

Fig. 8 is a perspecive view of the nut which is 5 embedded in the lug strap.

Fig. 4 shows at I a complete lug strap embodying my invention, said lug strap having the usual U shape and thus presenting the two arms or legs 2 and the bow end 3 connecting the legs. 10 In the completed lug strap the inner face 4 of the bow end is fiat in a. direction extending transversely of the lug strap and the outer face 5 thereof is convexly curved, the bow end 3 of the lug strap thereby having a progressively increasing transverse dimension from each leg toward the center of the bow portion. In making the lug strap I first take a strip or sheet of fabric 6 of the proper width and coat one face thereof with glue or some suitable adhesive and then I apply to the adhesively-coated face a second layer l in the nature of a reenforcing layer. This layer 1 has a progressively decreasing width from one end to the other and the width thereof at the widest end 8 is approximately the same as the length of the bow portion 3 of the completed lug strap, while its length is nearly as long as the length of the strip or sheet 6. This reenforcing layer is also provided with a coating of adhesive, as shown in. Fig. 1. The layers are then inter- 3O rolled to form a roll 9 which will be somewhat thicker at the central portion as shown at [0 due to the presence of the reenforcing layer I which, because of its length, extends throughout substantially the entire interrolling of the roll 9. This roll 9 is then placed in a suitable mold or press which not only compresses the layers or plies of the roll firmly together but also gives the roll the final shape of the lug strap. The press herein shown has the same general construction 4,0 as that illustrated in my above-mentioned Patent No. 1,909,993 in that it comprises a central stationary core member ll and three presser mem bers 12, I3 and i l, the member !2 having the concavely curved face l5 which gives the final shape to the convexly curved outer face 5 of the bow end of the strap and the presser members I3,

It being hinged to the member l2, as shown at l6, and adapted to swing from the dotted line position Fig. 3 into the full line position, thereby to fold the roll about the stationary core ll. These three presser members 12, i3 and M are constructed to apply a heavy pressure to the roll and to thereby firmly compact the layers together, and at the same time to give the roll the final desired shape of the lug strap as stated above. The pressure is retained on the lug strap until the glue or cement sets. The tapered shape of the reenforcing member 1 makes the bow portion of the lug strap thicker at its central portion than at the ends thereof and the length of the reenforcement I is such as to provide suflicient material at the center of the bow end of the strap so that when the strap is subjected to pressure in the press it will have the straight inner face G and the convexly curved outer face 5, and yet have substantially the same density throughout.

If it is desired to provide the lug strap with metal reenforcing members, as indicated at I! in Figs. 4 and 5, then I will lay two rods I! on the strip 6 before it is rolled into shape so that when the roll 9 is formed it will contain the two properly spaced reenforcing rods IT.

The lug strap herein shown is provided with a leather lining I8 at the portion which engages the lug strap, this being a common expedient in the manufacture of lug straps. After the lug strap is completed the usual slots l8 will be cut in the ends of the arms.

Looms are usually equipped with some form of mg strap holder for holding the lug strap properly positioned relative to the picker stick and one form of such lug strap holder is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein 28 indicates the picker stick which is pivoted at 2| to the head 22 on the shaft 23 carrying the lay swords and 24 is the connection from the picker mechanism by which the picking motion is communicated to the lug strap I and picker stick 2?). The lug strap holder shown in Fig. 6 comprises a link member 25 mounted at its lower end on the pivot 2! of the picker stick and connected at its upper end to the lug strap through the medium of a bolt 26. The link 25 is shown as adjustable as to its length to provide for placing the lug strap at different vertical elevations.

One feature of my invention relates to a novel construction to facilitate the attachment of a lug strap to the bolt 26 of the link member. In accordance with this feature of the invention I employ a nut member 21 comprising a body portion 28 and a head portion 29, said nut having the interiorly screw-threaded bore 30 to receive the screw-threaded portion 3| of the bolt 26. One leg of the lug strap is provided with an aperture 32 into which the body portion 28 of the nut member 27 is forced from the interior of the lug strap. The overall length of the nut member 21 is considerably less than the distance between the arms 2 of the lug strap and the diameter of the body portion 28 of the nut is such that it fits the aperture 35 with a driving fit. With this construction the nut member 21 may be inserted into the aperture 32 from the interior of the lug strap by placing the nut in the dotted line position Fig. 7 and then forcing it in the aperture as shown in the full line position. The exterior surface of the body 28 is preferably roughened somewhat and this together with the driving fit constitutes a firm anchorage for the nut. The outer face of the head 29 is convexly curved, as shown in Fig. 7, and when the nut member is in place the head portion 29 may be partially embedded in the leather-facing member l8. Because of the rounded shape of the head the latter does not interfere in any way with the movement of the picker stick or the operation of the lug strap.

The assembly of the nut member 28 with the lug strap is accomplished without distorting the lug strap or without requiring any separation of the arms 2, an operation which would tend to weaken the lug strap because it is molded in its final shape while the glue is still fresh and before it has had time to set.

A lug strap having the construction shown in Fig. '7 can be easily attached to the link 25 by merely inserting the bolt 26 through the link 25 from the outside and then screwing said bolt into the nut member 28.

I claim:

1. A lug strap for looms having a U shape presenting two legs connected by a bridge portion, said lug strap being composed of interrollcd layers of fabric united adhesively under pressure, one of said layers constituting a body layer and the other a reenforcing layer, the latter being confined to the bridge portion of the strap, said reenforcing layer having a maximum width at one end substantially equal to the length of bridge portion and also having a progressiveiy decreasing width from said end to the other end, and further having a length to extend through substantially the entire interrolled portion of the lug strap body at the bridge thereof, the inner 5 face of the bridge portion of the strap being flat in the direction from one leg to the other and the outer face being convexly curved, said bridge portion being thickest at its center in the direction of the length of the lug strap and having a decreasing thickness from the center to each leg clue to the tapered shape of the reenforcing memher.

2. A lug strap having a U shape and formed of a plurality of plies of fabric adhesively united under pressure and a nut member embedded in one leg of the lug strap and provided with an internally screw-threaded bolt-receiving aperture exposed for the reception of a bolt from the outer face.

3. A lug strap having a U shape and formed with a plurality of plies of fabric adhesively united under pressure, one leg of the lug strap having an aperture therethrough adjacent the bridge portion thereof and a nut member retained in said aperture.

4. A lug strap having a U shape and formed with a plurality of plies of fabric adhesively united under pressure, one leg of the lug strap having an aperture therethrough adjacent the bridge portion thereof and a nut member retained in said aperture, said nut member having a head engaging the inner face of said leg.

HERBERT E. WILSON. 

